shotgun selection

[frostfire]

I know I'm being cheap here...but I'm evaluating the possibility to get a shotgun for home defense, skeet, and 3-gun. I've gone through this thread and taken notes: http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...hlight=shotgun

I've been researching this 870 for a while (copy and paste)remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model-870/model-870-express-tactical.aspx
and plan to enable it for skeet by a) put a 26" vent rib 870 express barrel and/or b)put a skeet/modified/improved choke. Anyone here ever tried same/similar set-up? Would putting a tighter choke alone work?

OTOH, the equivalent Mossberg (500, etc.) is cheaper, then there's Saiga

This maybe the dumbest question of the year, but is is true/a done deal that using a 18.5" smooth bore barrel, there's no way on earth one can hit a flying skeet at 20 to 25 yards distance?

Thanks in advance for the education.

[Sierra Bravo]

I own a Saiga great gun of course it is SA
for HD I really like my REM870
of course the Mossberg 8901A is a great gun as well
you'll most likely be better off with a good pump action
I don't shoot much skeet - so can't really comment there.
most bang for the buck = that Rem870 setup

[TheShootist]

Well you can certainly hit the target on a skeet field with a 18.5" barrel, however depending on what you're trying to accomplish, longer barrels are generally preferred.
A 28-30" barrel is pretty common for skeet as it gets a little more weight out front and helps you with your swing and follow through. A shorter barrel can also make the velocity of the pattern drop off much faster than that of a longer barrel, but that would only be an issue if you were shooting trap. Most skeet shooters use a cylinder/skeet/improved cylinder choke. Open is good.

[The Reaper]

Vang 870.

Not sure that shooting skeet is really compatible with the other uses you proposed. A second barrel might help make it workable.

TR

[Sten]

You can shoot them all with a stock wally world 870. Before you go and buy a set of "ping golf clubs" to see if you like the sport of golf, I would go shoot a bunch of trap, skeet and 3 gun to see what you like and figure out what you need. Every trap and skeet club I have ever shot at you can "borrow" or rent guns to see how it shoots and figure out what you like.

I shot just fine for 10+ years with a stock 870 and loved it until I shot a Beretta white onyx and now I have a stupid 2000 dollar shotgun that I have to buy.

[dfirsty]

Remington has put out a few combination deals. Cabela's and others often have an 870 express that comes with both smooth bore HD barrel and a long vent ribbed choked barrel.

Derek

[craigepo]

Benelli.
Benelli.
Benelli.

I also own a Franchi autoloader, Remington 870, Ithaca 87, some relic Winchester pumps, and once owned a Mossberg. The Benelli outshoots all of them. Amazingly so. The semi-auto benelli action is the best shotgun action I have ever seen.

The new recoil system in the stock of the super black eagle II further helps dampen recoil. The result is extremely manageable recoil, which when paired with the lightning-fast action, allows you to unload, on target, "wow" fast.

Pheasant hunting in Kansas this year, a friend and I jumped two rooster pheasants in a pretty secluded spot. He got off the first shot with his Ithaca pump, a clean miss. I killed both birds, three shots(no I didn't miss, pheasants are freaking tough), with 3 inch #5s, before he was able to fire a second shot.

I traded a beretta autoloader for the benelli. It (beretta) was a good gun, but almost the same price as the benelli, and not near as good as shotgun.

If you can't afford a Benelli, the 870 is a good gun. They are very dependable. I have killed a lot of stuff with my 870. 99% of all my misfires with this shotgun have been bad ammo.

I purchased my Ithaca in 1991. I had a problem with a weld, the one which holds the barrel onto the end of the magazine(when it broke, my barrel fell off. The failure was not caused by abuse). Ithaca overnighted me a new barrel, no problems with the gun since. However, I just don't trust the gun like I do my 870. I have heard that Ithaca's production quality is now back to what it once was, but have no 1st-hand knowledge.

I owned a Mossberg pump once. It failed me, more than once. It is gone, and I sha'nt buy another. No disrespect to Mossberg fans.

If you are going to use the shotgun for anything other than blasting paper/intruders, GET A GUN WITH SCREW-IN CHOKES!!! Also, my experience is that, when talking pattern(i.e. turkey hunting), barrel length is much less important than having a good choke. I shoot an Indian Creek full choke tube in my benelli(the factory choke wasn't very tight). That combo will outshoot my 870 with the 30' full choke barrel on. I shoot a modified for pheasants, improved cylinder for quail, skeet choke for skeet. Having the ability to screw-in a different choke will allow you to enjoy the gun for a lot of different stuff.

The new factory gun paint/coverings are very handy. Rust and scratches are virtually nil, and the camo patterns are very good. A parkerized-type finish would be my second choice, but again it matters what you are going to do with the gun.

Next, get a 12 gauge(easier to get ammo, more lead to shoot) with the biggest chamber possible. 3-inch shells don't eject well from a 2 3/4 inch gun(meaning at all), and there are times when you will want to load 3 inch shells.

A couple other points: Ghost ring sights are ok for stationary targets. I prefer the old-fashioned slick barrel with a bead for moving targets. Also, if you will ever carry the gun afield, be wary of tricking your gun out with lots of heavy, cool-guy stuff. With a full magazine, carrying that gun can become a chore. Finally, if you buy an extended magazine, remember that most states only allow you to hunt with three rounds in the gun, and the gun MUST be plugged. So, you might end up making a very long plug for your gun to make it hunting-legal.